


Heavy

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 07:16:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11846622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Jack finally gets top surgery. Jack belongs to SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher and Zelda belongs to ZDusk.





	Heavy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher (UglyJackal)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UglyJackal/gifts).



> Man I hope I got this right, I only looked at a website to get the basics but hopefully it's okay.

Jack’s chest hurt when he woke up. He groaned and massaged it. But at least he felt mentally okay. He could deal with shallow breaths if it meant feeling normal. But it hurt when he climbed into Dale’s saddle, and his horse expressed concern as Jack clutched his chest.

“I’m fine,” said Jack. “Just fell asleep with my binder on again.” He wished that he didn’t have to wear it, but he was nowhere near top surgery in terms of funds.

“You have to stop doing that,” Dale worried, pinning his ears.

“It’s better than the alternative, alright?” said Jack. Dale didn’t say anything, knowing that Jack would only start feeling down on himself if he continued.

Zelda, however, had no such reservations when she made Jack laugh and he grabbed his chest in pain.

“What’s wrong?” asked Z, immediately on the alert.

“Slept with my binder on again,” said Jack, wincing.

“Jack!” Z scolded him. “You’re supposed to take that off before you sleep!”

“Well, sorry I wanted to feel normal and didn’t want to trigger my dysphoria right before falling asleep,” Jack snapped at her, and started to walk away. But Z grabbed his arm.

“Oh, no you don’t,” said Z. “I’m transferring the funds to your bank account right now. How much is it?”

“A lot,” said Jack. “Trust me, I know, I’ve looked at enough websites to know. Trusted websites, Z, jeez, I’m not that fucking stupid.”

“Give me your phone,” said Z.

“No way,” said Jack, holding it close to him.

“Fine, I’ll just find the most expensive one and use that amount,” said Z. Jack’s phone buzzed with a notification from his bank account, and he almost didn’t want to look at it. “Done.”

“That was from something else, right?” asked Jack. Z gave him a look. Jack shook his head, disbelieving, and he had to enter his passcode a few times because his hands were shaking too much. But there it was. A large sum of money had just entered his bank account. Jack gasped, putting a hand to his mouth as tears streamed down his face. “Z, I could kiss you.”

“That would be super gay,” said Z. Jack laughed, but his eyes never left the screen.

“Is this real?” asked Jack. “Is this really happening?”

“Yes it is,” said Z. She patted him on the shoulder. “Now, go talk to those fancy doctors. Or do you want me to come with you for support?”

“It’s your money,” said Jack, but Z could see the truth behind his words. The truth that was ‘please come with me and hold my hand’.

While Jack consulted with many people at the hospital, Z stayed there with him. It took a few weeks, mostly while Z helped Jack exercise to build up the right muscles (he’d been exercising but had been slacking lately), but finally, they sat in a hospital room hours before Jack was due for surgery.

“I’m so nervous I’d puke if I had anything in me,” said Jack, unable to stop shaking as he sat on the bed.

“That’s why they tell you not to eat,” said Z, patting his hand.

“What if it doesn’t work?” asked Jack. “What if I wasted all your money for nothing?”

“And what if it does work?” Z retorted. “What if you come out of that surgery feeling sore but also more like yourself than ever before?”

“And the scars?” asked Jack.

“Jack, you talked to Ydris for hours last night,” said Z. “You know he won’t mind these new scars because they’re for a good reason.”

“I know, I know,” said Jack. “But I’m still just so scared. What if something goes wrong?”

“The surgery has been explained to you many times, and it’ll be explained to you again when the doctors come to prep you for it,” said Z. “You’ll be fine, Jack, I promise.”

“Alright, but if I’m not, I’m coming back as a ghost to haunt your ass,” said Jack. Z laughed. “I’m fucking serious, Z.”

“Oh, does Ydris know?” asked Z. Jack rolled his eyes and punched her in the arm, but he was smiling. 

“Ass,” said Jack. “Thanks.”

And, though Jack was a nervous wreck, he still managed to smile at Z and give her a thumbs-up as he was wheeled into theatre. Now it was Z’s turn to wait and be a nervous wreck. Ydris called her a few times, checking up on his fiancé. She could just imagine how he was pacing around his tent or wagon, wearing a hole in the ground and gnawing on what little fingernails he had. Halli and Walter were probably trying to calm him down, but Z knew that they were only helping somewhat. They were trying their best, though.

Hours passed, and Ydris’ calls became more frequent until they became “Is he out yet?” “No” every few minutes.

“Ydris, I’ll text you immediately when he’s out, okay?” said Z. “Just wait.” Honestly, this was why Jack had wanted Ydris to stay home. That and he knew that Ydris would freak out at the sight of him in pain.

Finally, the elevator dinged and Z rose to her feet as she saw a scrap of blue hair on the bed being wheeled out.

“How did it go?” asked Z.

“As smoothly as it could have,” said the surgeon. “He’ll be a new man when he wakes up.”

“God, I hope so,” said Z. She didn’t care about the money, all she cared about was that Jack was okay. She called Ydris while the doctors put Jack’s bed back in the room and got everything set up.

“Is he out now?” asked Ydris.

“Yes,” said Z. “He’s sleeping, obviously. But he looks fine.”

“Should I come there?” asked Ydris, and Z tried hard to resist the concern in his voice.

“No,” said Z. “I think he’d prefer it if it was just me. He loves you, but…”

“I understand,” said Ydris. “This is deeply personal for him. He’ll see me when he’s ready. But he has to know that I don’t care what he looks like, as long as he’s okay.”

“He just doesn’t want you fussing over him, that’s all,” said Z. “Let him wake up and get used to things first.”

“Okay,” said Ydris. “Just… let him know that when he wants me there, I’ll be there.”

“I will,” said Z. “You just look after your fur babies for him while he’s away. Give them belly scratches from me, okay?”

“Consider it done,” said Ydris, and Z smiled at the sound of belly-scritchies heard through the phone. Then, she ended the call and sat by Jack’s bed to wait for him.

Jack was used to waking up to chest pain. But this time, it felt different. There was a lightness that hadn’t been there before. He groaned as he tried to move, and that woke Z from her nap snoozing in the hospital chair.

“Hey,” said Z, grinning at him. “How are you feeling?”

“Normal,” said Jack, a big grin spreading across his face. “In pain but I feel normal, Z. It worked!” Z had tears in her own eyes as Jack cried from the sheer joy of it.

“I’m so happy for you,” said Z, unable to stop grinning.

“I could fucking kiss you but the pain,” said Jack. They grinned and laughed, and then Z moved away as the surgeon walked in.

Jack listened intently, and Z wrote down the instructions as the surgeon told Jack how to care for his post-op body, including how to change his drainage bags and how to bathe and care for the scars.

“I can’t believe this is real,” said Jack after the surgeon had left upon being sure that Jack understood the instructions.

“Well, believe it,” said Z, squeezing his hand. “It’s real, Jack.”

“All thanks to you,” said Jack. “You probably saved my life, Z.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” said Z. “Are you ready to see Ydris now?”

“Give it a few days,” said Jack. “But I can talk to him on the phone.”

“I’ll put you on loudspeaker,” said Z, and left the phone on the pillow beside Jack’s ear before she left the room to give them some privacy. Of course she’d insisted on Jack having a private room, despite Jack’s protests about him not needing one. In a private room, nobody could listen in on Jack’s conversations with his wizard. 

And, when Jack finally allowed Ydris to visit a few days later, nobody saw him materialise in Jack’s room in a shower of sparks. Nobody but Zelda, who slipped out of the room again to give them some privacy.


End file.
